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Shattered Sky/Chapter 7
Chapter description ''Alderheart's PoV :Alderheart is restocking the herb stores. The opportunity to refill them comes when the medicine cat den is quieter, without all his Clanmates rushing in, complaining about their injuries, or coming back to be checked on. Outside of camp, Alderheart nips a few stems off some comfrey, and trots off through the thorn tunnel, peeking through the apprentices' den. Although it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust, he can see the mound where Twigpaw is sleeping. The tom remembers when Bramblestar said that they wouldn't send a patrol to look for SkyClan and her kin. The she-cat had been so disappointed, because she wanted to have kin in one of the Clans. Alderheart understands why the leader couldn't send out the patrol, because the Clans are stressed enough. :Twigpaw asked Alderheart if the cat he saw was really her kin. The tom assured her that it was, and that they weren't going to ignore SkyClan just yet. The gray apprentice still seemed disappointed, and he isn't surprised that she wanted to sleep for as long as possible. A breeze moved the ferns in front of the den, and sunlight shines onto the mound, which turns out to be nothing more than moss and leaves. Alderheart is shocked, and tries to tell himself that the she-cat is still around here. Then he realizes that Twigpaw did that on purpose, and must be hiding something. He runs over to the medicine cats' den, where Jayfeather is helping Briarlight with her exercises. Jayfeather tells her to do one more, which the she-cat does, and then she rests. The blind tom turns towards Alderheart and asks him what was wrong. Alderheart tells him that Twigpaw isn't in her nest, and thought she might be here. :Jayfeather says, no, she isn't, and tells him he should go ask Leafpool, who was checking on Blossomfall. He adds that Twigpaw will turn up eventually. As Alderheart crosses camp to get to the nursery, he spots the whole of ThunderClan waking up and starting the day. A few patrols have already brought back some fresh-kill. Next to the fresh-kill pile, however, are Berrynose and Tigerheart, arguing furiously. The medicine cat can't make out any of it, though. Meanwhile, as Alderheart makes his way over to the nursery, Purdy thrusts himself between the two cats, and begins to reprimand them for fighting, when he breaks off and gasps some words Alderheart can't hear, then falls to the ground. The ginger tom races across camp, heart pounding, and checks on Purdy, asking Berrynose what happened. Tigerheart replies, telling Alderheart the elder was trying to break the argument up, when he said his forelegs hurt and collapsed. :Alderheart asks Purdy what is wrong, and if it's the indigestion. The tom gasps that he can't manage it. In a panic, Alderheart examines him, and finds that the heartbeat is irregular, which causes Alderheart to be scared. Purdy says that he didn't want to cause trouble, and Alderheart protests that it wouldn't have been any trouble and tells him that he is going to help. He tells Berrynose to get Jayfeather, and the cream tom obeys. His fear peaks when he turns back to Purdy and sees the faraway look in his eyes. Purdy murmurs that he'll be a good medicine cat, and that he'll do fine. Afterwards, Purdy lays, motionless, his eyes locked with a faraway look. Alderheart tries to deny that Purdy is dead, during which Jayfeather and Leafpool arrive. The latter asks what happened, and the ginger tom forces down his wail, saying Purdy complained of indigestion, and said his forelegs hurt. Then Purdy collapsed, and he wasn't breathing. The dark ginger tom cries that Purdy can't be dead, that he's okay and alive. :Jayfeather bends down to sniff the tom, then shakes his head and begins to close Purdy's eyes. Alderheart wails and insists that there should be something they can do to revive the tabby. Jayfeather tells him that he shouldn't, that Purdy lived a long life and now that life is done. He tells the young one that part of his training is knowing when to let go. Alderheart stares down at the lifeless elder, and whispers that he didn't help the tom. His mentor tells him that sometimes he can't. :As the cats prepare sadly for the vigil, the ginger tom pads over to his father and mother and asks if Purdy will be in StarClan. When Bramblestar begins speaking, he doesn't seem to be answering his son's question. The tom talks about how they met Purdy during their journey to the sun-drown place. The loner had helped them escape from a dog, then showed them where the food was. Squirrelflight nods, saying she would never forget that, and without Purdy, they might've never met Midnight. If they never met her, then they wouldn't know that their new home was by the lake. :Bramblestar continues, saying when Purdy joined ThunderClan, he fit in with the elders perfectly, and took care of Mousefur when she was sick and dying. Most of the cats who were paying their respects now turn to look at their leader. Ivypool chimes in, saying he was good the apprentices, and kept them out of trouble. Ambermoon adds that the elder told the best stories. Squirrelflight points out that he joined in when they fought against the Dark Forest. Bramblestar then tells Alderheart that Purdy deserves to walk with StarClan, and he knows the tom will be looking down on them all. The medicine cat nods, thanking his leader, when suddenly, he remembers something that he had been removed from his mind after Purdy's death. He knew that if Twigpaw really was here, she would have come and pay her respect to the deceased elder. Alderheart has a sickening feeling that he knows where she ran off to. :He runs back to Bramblestar, and tells him that there is an emergency and that he needs to talk. They go off to a place near the warriors' den, out of earshot. Alderheart explains the situation: that Twigpaw is missing and she ran off to find her kin in SkyClan. The dark brown tabby digs his claws into the ground, exasperated, and says they'll send out a patrol. They go back to where the rest of the Clan is, and Bramblestar announces that Twigpaw is missing, and that she may have gone to look for SkyClan. He says that they must bring her back, because the journey is too dangerous. Ivypool says that it was her fault, because she spoke out against a patrol, and she didn't know her apprentice would run off in response. The leader tells her not to blame herself, and asks for cats to go on the patrol. :Tigerheart volunteers, and Dovewing does as well. Bramblestar also selects Molewhisker, since he made the journey with Alderheart to the barn. All three cats disappear through the thorn tunnel, and Alderheart is grateful that they will look out for the apprentice and bring her home. Then he remembers the Thunderpath that lies between them and the barn, and he hopes she knew where the tunnel was. The tom knows that more dangers would be there after the Thunderpath and that one apprentice couldn't make it alone. He wishes he were more reassuring the night before when he was with Twigpaw discussing SkyClan. Alderheart wonders if he'll lose another friend today, since he lost one earlier. Characters Major *Purdy *Bramblestar }} Minor *Briarlight *Berrynose *Tigerheart *Leafpool *Graystripe *Millie *Squirrelflight *Ivypool *Ambermoon *Dovewing *Molewhisker }} Mentioned *Blossomfall *Midnight *Mousefur }} Important events Deaths *Purdy dies of age-related heart failure. Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Shattered Sky Category:A Vision of Shadows arc